Skipping School
by heyjupiter
Summary: Kurt and Ororo, one year after X2. A bit fluffy, but they just invite such cuteness ^_^


Skipping School   
by heyjupiter/Renata of Doom (renata@frowl.org) 7/4/03   
Summary: Kurt and Ororo, one year after Jean's death. Songfic.   
PG, K/O   
Movieverse (with vague tinges of comicverse background info), post-X2   
Archive: Sure, just let me know. renata@frowl.org   
Notes: I didn't try to write in Kurt's accent, for fear of mucking it up horribly, so just pretend. I'm thinking this might eventually be part of a series of X2 songfics from Tori Amos' album _Scarlet's Walk_; the others to date being "Withered" and "Strange." Thanks to Priscilla for beta-ing and Kurt-swooning with me ^_^   
(Lyrics are "Gold Dust" by Tori Amos.)   
  
He could not believe it had been a year. A year since he had come to the place he now called home. A year since the death of Jean Grey, whose death had shaken him, though he had only known her for a few days. He had heard so many stories about her from Ororo. He wished greatly that he could have become better acquainted with her. But, he decided, enough dwelling on the past. The present was much nicer. He squeezed Ororo's hand. They were walking, together, to the small monument that had been placed in one of the gardens.   
  
"Thank you for coming with me," she said.   
  
"Anything to get me out of school," he said jokingly, meaning _anything for you_. Although he still had a noticeable accent, his English had much improved. Private lessons with Ororo had made learning more enjoyable than he had thought possible. And just as he helped the students learn German, their influence on his English was equally beneficial.   
  
_Sights and sounds  
pull me back down  
another year  
I was here  
I was here  
_   
  
When they reached the simple stone marker, he noticed that a bundle of red tulips had al ready been placed in front of it. He knelt in front of the stone and began to speak softly in German. Then he crossed himself and stood up. "Do you want that I should leave you alone a moment?" he asked softly. She hesitated, then nodded. "I will be nearby. Just call when you are ready." Bamf!   
  
He sighed. He hated it when Ororo was sad, and he hated the helpless feeling of being unable to cheer her up. While he waited for her, sitting high in a large oak tree, he reached in the pocket of the trenchcoat he still felt most comfortable wearing. He took out two photographs. One was of him with his adopted parents, with the three of them in their circus costumes. The other, much more recent, was of him and Ororo. He had insisted that they pose for the photo booth the first time they had gone to the mall together, after Professor Xavier had given him the image inducer. He had told her it was because he was curious about how the booth worked, but really he had just wanted to have a picture of her. He hoped that God would forgive his small mistruth. He had flicked off the inducer before the camera flashed, and he now contemplated the photo. What a pair they made, angel and demon. He smiled, still unable to believe the blessing God had given him. He loved her so much, and had been so afraid when he had finally gotten up the nerve to confess his feelings to her. And rather than scorning him, she had... she had smiled, and suggested that they eat dinner together. And then she had said that she knew a great German restaurant. This was before the image inducer, and he had been afraid. Thought even that she had been mocking him, knowing as well as he did that he couldn't possibly show his scarred blue face in public. Then she had noticed the fear in his eyes and told him to relax, that the owner of the place was a mutant too. That his appearance was nothing to be ashamed of. He had been so grateful...   
  
"Kurt! You can come down now, thank you for waiting!" Her cry startled him out of his reverie. He quickly reappeared by her side.   
  
He saw her wiping a stray tear from her eye, and wept inwardly. "As long as we're skipping school, why don't we go and get some lunch?"   
"I don't know about you, but I'm not 'skipping school'. I have," she glanced at her watch, "fifteen minutes until my next class. And so, I think, do you."   
"Let's give the kids a studying hall!" He expected more resistance, expected her to protest that she had a very important lesson to teach today. But instead, she paused a moment before replying "Oh... why not?" He grinned.   
"I will go to tell the students." Bamf!   
  
_ Whipping past  
the reflecting pool  
me + you  
skipping school  
And we make it up  
as we go along  
We make it up as we  
go along  
  
_ She drove; he had never found the need to get a driver's license. Nonverbally, they had agreed upon the small German restaurant where they had first gone together. Kurt didn't like having to hide his appearance any more than she liked it when he had to. He remembered a time when he would have given anything to look normal, remembered asking Mystique why she didn't look normal all the time. Remembered her answer-- "Because I shouldn't have to." She might have been surprised to know how much he had taken her words to heart.   
  
"Penny for your thoughts, Kurt." He remembered his confusion the first time she had said that to him; he had reassured her that she was welcome to his thoughts for free.   
"Oh... just thinking about the first time we went here. I was so happy that you had... had not shunned me."   
"And I was happy that you had finally gotten up the nerve to talk to me."   
"I love you."   
"And I love you, my elf." Outside, the clouds began to dissolve, and the sun shone in through the cafe's grimy window. Kurt smiled, he had long known that with her in his life, the weather was rarely coincidental.   
  
_ You said--  
you raced from Langley--  
pulling me underneath  
a cherry blossom  
canopy  
-- do I have--  
Of course I have,  
beneath my raincoat  
I have your photographs  
And the sun on your  
Face  
I'm freezing that frame  
_   
  
They paid for their meal and left, holding hands as they walked down the street. Kurt attracted a few stares, but this was New York after all, so no one paid them much mind.   
"Let's go to the Metropolitan Museum!" he said, pronouncing the words with great care. Although he did love to look at the art, he was mostly trying to think of distractions for Ororo. He did not want to return to the school so soon, he knew it would be a difficult day for everyone there. She looked at him, a little surprised. "All right."   
  
They took the subway; parking downtown was such a hassle. Today, they wandered around a collection of photography. It was relatively empty; the tourists preferred to see famous paintings, so that they could go home and impress their friends.   
  
Kurt liked photographs, the way they could forever capture one moment in time. They mostly walked in companionable silence, with one of them occasionally pointing out something of interest to the other. As they walked into a new room, they saw a tall woman with chin-length red hair. Her back was turned to them. He heard Ororo gasp softly, and whisper "Jean...?" The woman turned around, studying a photo on the other side of the room. She looked nothing like Jean. Ororo started to cry, and Kurt heard thunder outside. _Damn_.   
  
He let her melt into his arms, and walked her over to a bench. He stroked her hair. "I know... that you miss her. She was your friend. But you must be thankful for the time you were given with her. She would want you.. to remember her. To be happy."   
She laughed, in between quiet sobs. "I told Scott the same thing... but it is... difficult." He hugged her. "I'm so grateful to have you," she continued. "A mixed blessing... she left my life just as you entered it."   
"My liebe... I know that you do not share the beliefs that are mine. But... I think that God has a plan. And perhaps we do not yet comprehend it. But that does not mean that it... is not there." He tensed, hoping that she would not be offended.   
"I hope you're right, Kurt." He offered her a handkerchief, and she wiped her eyes. "Let's go home."   
  
_ And somewhere Alfie cries  
and says "Enjoy his every smile  
You can see in the dark  
Through the eyes of Laura Mars"  
-- How did it go so fast--   
You'll say  
as we are looking  
back  
and then we'll understand  
we held gold dust  
in our   
hands  
  
  
_ As they walked back into the mansion, she kissed him and said "I've got some papers to grade, but I'll see you at dinner." She hurried up to her room before he could say anything in reply. He watched her silently, then walked out to the gardens. He knelt in a secluded spot, and began praying quietly. He prayed for forgiveness of his own sins, for Ororo's happiness, for peace...   
  
So lost in thought was he that he didn't notice Scott had been watching him. His hands were dirty and his face looked splotchy. Kurt didn't know what to say.   
  
"I wish... I wish I had your faith," Scott said.   
"It is a great comfort to me," acknowledged Kurt. "But you have your own faith, too." Scott laughed hollowly, but Kurt continued earnestly. "You have your faith in your students. In the goodness of humanity. That is why you fight, you have faith that one day you will be accepted for who you are. I... know that you grieve for Jean. But I believe that... there is a greater plan. And that you and Jean will meet again one day."   
"In heaven, you mean?"   
"Yes."   
"I have far too many sins on my soul to enter heaven, Kurt."   
"Oh, that is not true! Forgiveness is yours, all you have to do is ask for it! It is... much harder to receive forgiveness from one's self than it is from God." Kurt looked at him compassionately. "I will leave you to be alone. But please... think about what I have said." Bamf! He was gone before Scott could reply.   
  
_ Sights and Sounds  
pull me back down   
another year  
I was here  
I was here  
_   
  
He hoped that he had not hurt Scott further. He had only wanted to help. He could not imagine the pain Scott must be enduring-- already, the thought of anything happening to Ororo hurt Kurt more than he could bear. (Sometimes he was afraid that he loved her more than he loved God. But deep down he knew... knew that it was a different love.) Scott had been with Jean far longer than he had been with Ororo. He knelt and prayed softly for Scott.   
  
After dinnner, he and Ororo took their now-customary walk around the mansion's grounds.   
"Sorry I ran off like that before... I needed to be alone."   
"I know. I hope your time... comforted you." He knew now that if she wanted to be alone, it wasn't because of something he had done. Knew that she would always come back to him.   
She smiled. "Not as much as you comfort me, love." He blushed a deep indigo, and her peals of laughter rang out through the garden. "I was... thinking about what you said. About a plan. And I... don't share your beliefs, you know that. But I thought that maybe I should just... well, see what happens from here. I know I'll always miss her, and she'll always be in my thoughts. But I do need to... move on. And I know I can do both. It's been hard for me... I know I have to be strong for Scott, he needs me. Needs all of us. But... things are getting better. And you, you know, are a big part of that. You affect people in ways you don't even realize, with your faith and your love."   
  
It was the most beautiful sunset Kurt had ever seen.   
  
_ Gaslights  
Glow in the street  
(flickering past)  
Twilight held us  
in her palm  
As we walked along  
And we make it up   
as we go along  
We make it up as we go along  
_   
  
  
Lying in each other's arms, Ororo told him, "Another thing I realized today... is that you are more like Jean than I ever knew." Sensing Kurt's quiet puzzlement, she continued, "You are both so caring and loyal and loving... and you both will do anything for those you care about."   
"Thank you... I know that I have been highly praised. I only hope that I will continue to be worthy of such sentiments."   
"Oh... I don't think that's likely to change any time soon." She silenced him with a kiss.   
  
_ Letting names  
hang in the  
air   
What color hair  
(auburn crimson)  
Autumn knowingly   
Stared  
And the day that  
She came  
I'm freezing that  
Frame  
I'm freezing that frame  
_   
  
He blinked a few times as he awoke-- he was still a little startled whenever he awoke in her bed. He ran his fingers through her hair. He loved watching her sleep. Idly, he thought about their marriage. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he proposed. He was just waiting for the right moment. He wondered what their children would look like. He hoped that they would look like her; it was hard for a child to grow up with blue skin. But it made him happy to know that his children would never have to wonder who their parents were, and that they would grow up loved and protected, whether they were brown or blue or... or purple or green, even. He chuckled softly at that thought. They'd be a beautiful rainbow family. Ororo stirred. "Hey, what's so funny?"   
"Oh... oh, nothing." He knew she knew he was lying. Ach, another sin. But he would wait until the time was right to tell her about these thoughts of his.   
"If you say so, dear." She yawned and curled up against his side, quickly falling asleep again.   
  
_And somewhere Alfie smiles  
and says "Enjoy her every cry  
You can see in the dark  
Through the eyes  
of Laura Mars"  
_   
  
He smiled, and returned to his thoughts. Maybe one boy and one girl... given their parents, they'd be mutants of course. And they'd go to school here, at Xavier's Academy. And they'd be loved and cherished and maybe one day they'd each meet someone that they loved. Someone that they'd skip school with and whisper sweet nothings to. And he and Ororo would grow old together, and become grandparents. And when their time on earth was finished, they'd spend eternity together, too.   
  
_-- How did it go so fast--  
You'll say  
as we are looking  
back   
and then we'll   
understand  
we held gold dust  
in our   
hands  
in our   
hands  
_   
  
-- _fin_   
Note: _Eyes of Laura Mars_ was an old Faye Dunaway movie, if that lyric confused you like it confused me ^_^ 


End file.
